A Collection of Abject Musings is the latest CD from Germany via California crooner Erich Von Kneip. Erich and his band could legitimately be the pit orchestra of a musical set in the 1920s, employing instruments like double bass, plunger muted trumpet, and bowed vibes. He cites artists like Nat King Cole, Tom Waits, and Andrew Bird as influences.
Kneip's rendition of the Irving Berlin classic "Blue Skies" closes the album. "I have heard what seems like hundreds of versions of it in my lifetime, and I have only liked a few," he says. In Kneip's version, the line "blue skies smiling at me" invokes a more cynical, sarcastic smile than the innocent feel of classic interpretations.
But however polished, melancholic and interesting the record may be, "live music is where the spirits get conjured up and mix with nerves, fear, ambiance, alcohol, and broken tube amps," says Kneip in a recent blog posting. "You never know what's going to happen... and I think I like it that way."
"Funeral For a Romance" is the second track off Musings.
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